Offices of Brazil's environmental protection agency torched

Offices of Brazil's environmental protection agency torched

Oct. 28, 2017

SAO PAULO (AP) — Police in Brazil say gold miners have torched the offices of the country's environmental protection agency Ibama in the northern jungle state of Amazonas.

The Environment Ministry's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation was also set afire.

The offices were torched Friday by miners who were angry with Ibama's seizure of nearly 40 barges used in the illegal extraction of gold from the bottom of the Madeira River, which cuts through the city of Humaita.

Commander of the Amazonas State Police Department Col. David Brandao said Saturday calm has returned to the city and no one was hurt in the incident.